


Will and Winston Go To The beach

by HidingintheInkwell



Series: The Lecter Three [4]
Category: Hannibal Lecter Series - All Media Types
Genre: Abbie is a good Big Sister, Adopted Abigail, Adopted Will, Beach House, Cute Kids, First time at the beach, Gen, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Winston the Dog - Freeform, sandcastles and wave jumping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-22
Updated: 2020-07-22
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:02:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25435072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HidingintheInkwell/pseuds/HidingintheInkwell
Summary: Their Daddy is taking them to the beach and it's Will's first time. He's excited about all the fun Abbie's told him about, but he's also nervous.Just a cute and dorky one shot in my Lecter Three series.
Relationships: Will Graham & Abigail Hobbs, Will Graham & Hannibal Lecter
Series: The Lecter Three [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1197121
Kudos: 18





	Will and Winston Go To The beach

**Author's Note:**

> I made myself sad so I wrote this to cheer myself up. It's longer than I expected but it's cute and dorky and I had fun.   
> Enjoy!!

Will stared out the window, watching shrub brushes and brightly colored houses whizz by in blurs. Every so often there would be a gap big enough he could see the ocean peaking through, water bluer than his walls at home with little white puffs of seafoam that looked like clouds. If he squinted hard enough, it almost looked like the sky reached all the way down, and there was no water at all. Beside him Abbie was bouncing up and down against her seatbelt, a big grin pinching her cheeks pink in excitement. 

“Are we almost there, Daddy?” She asked, bouncing stilling only a little as dark eyes met them in the rearview mirror. From where Will sat he could see the smile Daddy was trying to hide. “Abigail, how many times have I asked you to not bounce in your seat like that?” Abbie frowned and sank into her seat with her arms crossed, but it only took a second for her smile to come back. “Daddy, that doesn’t answer my question! Are we almost to the Yellow House? Are we, are we?!” 

Daddy sighed, but Will knew he wasn’t really angry at Abbie’s bugging him. Daddy almost never got angry with them, not even when Will had drawn him a picture on the dining room wall. “Yes, Abigail. We’re almost there. Ten more minutes. Did you and William decide on what you wanted to do first?”

Abbie nod, nod, nodded. “Yes! First we wanna go swimming, and then we’re gonna build a  _ biiig  _ sandcastle for Winston so he can be King with a moat and towers and a catapult so he can  _ woosh  _ his enemies all the way back into the ocean!” The idea had really been all Abbie’s idea, but Will had thought it sounded like fun. He couldn’t recall ever going to a beach; Pop never took him anywhere and he only had really hazy memories of green water and squishy mud and pits that looked like sand but would swallow you if you stepped in them. 

Daddy had told them about their trip to the beach a few weeks ago, and Abbie had been talking about it nonstop ever since. She told Will all about the house Daddy had that was right on the beach and they could see the water from their back door. It wasn’t a big house like theirs was, but it was a pretty sunshine yellow and had a bedroom for each of them, and Daddy always made sure the housekeeper stocked their favorite foods when she knew they were coming. Abbie’s favorite thing was jumping and running from the waves when they tried to catch her toes and looking for the most perfectest shells to add to the jars on her window sill. 

The more Abbie talked about it, the more Will looked forward to the trip, but he was also nervous. What if the waves tried to catch  _ his  _ toes and drag him in? What if they tried to take Winston? Winston wasn’t really a water dog after following Will into his bath one night and having to take a trip through the dryer that left his fur all poofy, but Abbie had assured him that Winston could stay in his sandcastle and watch them. 

Pulling his eyes away from the whizzing houses and sand dunes, he looked down at the little golden dog who was buckled up in his lap. Winston  _ looked  _ excited for the trip, so Will tried to let himself feel some of the excitement too. 

Finally, Daddy pulled the car down a white shell driveway in front of a pretty yellow house up on tall stilts. Daddy had shown him pictures of the house and explained that the stilts were to help protect it from storms, but Will still thought it made it look a little like Big Bird. As soon as the car was turned off, Abbie was jumping out of the car with her Hello Kitty suitcase and running up the steps. Will waited for Daddy to come around and unbuckle him before he took his blue robots suitcase and followed after, leaving Daddy to grab his own suitcase and close the doors. The front door was wide open and Will could hear Abbie giggling from behind a pink door as she changed into her swimsuit. Not sure what room was his, Will waited in the doorway until Daddy came up behind him. “Your room is the one with the blue door,” he said, pointing past Will at a door right next to Abbie’s. “The white door at the end of the hall is an extra bedroom for visitors, and mine is right across the hall from you two. There is also a bathroom that you will share. Why don’t you go ahead and change while I put everything away and then we can all go down to the beach together?”

Will nodded eagerly, hurrying over to the blue door and pushing it open, excited to see what his room looked like. The bed was pale wood with a pretty blue and white checkered quilt over it and the dresser was white and looked like the outside furniture he’d seen at some of the houses they’d passed. There was an open closet next to the bed, and across from it was a door that must have led to their shared bathroom. White curtains with starfish and anchors all over them fluttered in the salty breeze. Everything looked so light and beachy and perfect.

Setting Winston and his suitcase down on the bed, Will pulled out his swim trunks and the swim shirt Daddy insisted he had to wear so he wouldn’t get a sunburn and started changing. Abbie and Daddy were waiting for him in the living room when he and Winston came out to join them. Abbie was wearing a pink flowery swimsuit with a sparkly skirt and a purple swim shirt with a mermaid on the front. Her face was all pinched up as Daddy smeared white sunscreen on her face before leaving some in her hand so she could get her arms and neck. Daddy had changed into a pair of shorts and a loose white shirt, and dark sunglasses sat on top of his head. He motioned Will over so he could smear sticky, coconut smelling lotion all over his face and ears and neck. “Make sure you rub it into your arms until you can’t see it anymore,” he instructed, squeezing a little into Will’s hand and rubbing a small dot onto Winston’s shiny black nose. “So he doesn’t burn either,” Daddy explained, making Will giggle. 

When everyone had on sunscreen and Abbie had found her big yellow sunglasses, Daddy took Will’s hand and they followed his sister down to the beach. Abbie immediately headed for the waves, squealing and giggling as the foam surged up towards her toes before retreating. Daddy sat back in a weathered chair and dug his toes into the hot sand before motioning for Will to go and join the fun. Clutching Winston tight, Will shuffled to where the sand was damp and hard and a lot cooler on the bottoms of his feet. Abbie was switching back and forth between chasing the retreating waves, and running from them as they came back up to get her. When she saw Will, she immediately grabbed his hand and pulled him in to join her. As soon as the first waves started to pull back, they ran after it as far as they could until it changed its mind and came back towards them. Abbie shrieked and ran away, but Will was too slow and the waves caught his feet. The water was  _ cold!  _ Pulling the sand from under his feet like it was trying to take him with it. Whining, he ran until he was far away from where the waves could get him, watching as they tried to catch Abbie over and over. 

After a few chases, Abbie realized Will wasn’t with her anymore and turned back to him. “It’s okay, Will! The waves aren’t gonna get you!” Will shook his head, still feeling the way they’d ripped the sand from under his feet. He clutched Winston tighter, afraid the waves would somehow reach out and try to steal him too. Tilting her head at him, Abbie stood between him and the water for a long minute before marching over and crouching in front of him. “Don’t worry, Will,” she said, taking off her sunglasses so he could see her eyes. “I won’t let the waves take you  _ or  _ Winston. They’re not gonna hurt you because I won’t let them!”

Making sure she was being serious, Will nodded and let her pull him back out towards the water. Leaving him just outside their reach, Abbie angrily marched forward and gave the water a big kick, sending a rainbow of spray and foam up into the air. “You hear that, Mr. Water?” She shouted. “That is  _ my  _ little brother, and you can’t have him!” Will smiled at the act, feeling himself relax a little even as a tiny line of seafoam stretched forward and touched his big toe before running away again like it was afraid Abbie would get it. Feeling bolder, Will rushed forwards so he could join Abbie in chasing the waves. 

They continued like that for what felt like hours, chasing waves and filling Will’s pockets with shells before growing tired and deciding to start building Winston’s palace. Daddy had brought down buckets and shovels and molds some time when they hadn’t been looking, and Abbie began instructing Will on the best way to build a sandcastle. They started with the moat, flattening out a big area before using their hands and shovels to start digging. When Abbie had deemed the moat deep enough and their castle grounds big enough, they started building. When their sand was too loose to mold they shaped it into tall mounds and packed it as well as they could before carving out doors and windows and tunnels for Winston to get to the different rooms of their castle. Eventually, Daddy joined them with a bucket full of sand and water, and showed them how to drip the slurry between their fingers so that it created cool spires that looked like coral. Some of their found shells went into making flags and doors and shutters, or just pretty decorations for the castle walls until they deemed their castle perfect. Winston, who’d been sitting and watching the construction from a makeshift throne next to Will’s knee was soon fitted into the castle balcony, which Daddy had helped him carefully flatten and build the railing for so the dog wouldn’t fall off. Abbie set a ring of seaweed on his head like a crown and they all sat back and smiled at their work. 

With the castle complete, Daddy suggested the three of them wade out into the water a little to jump waves while Winston enjoyed his new castle. Abbie cheered and ran for the water’s edge to wait for them but Will was hesitant. He knew neither Abbie nor their Daddy would let anything happen to him, but the water was murky and could be hiding anything. Seeming to sense his thoughts, Daddy crouched in front of him and tugged Will’s chin so he could see his face. “There’s nothing to fear, sweet boy. Abbie and I have been in the water hundreds of times and I promise nothing will get you.”

Taking a deep breath, Will nodded. He was a big boy, not a scaredy cat. He knew Daddy would stay with him if he really didn’t want to go in, but he didn’t want to ruin Abbie’s fun. He knew she wouldn’t be mad at him, but she looked excited to be able to go out and jump in the waves and he didn’t want to be a spoil sport. Climbing to his feet, Will took Daddy’s hand and let himself be led to the water’s edge. Tiny, cold waves lapped at his toes. The water was clear right here, but it darkened to a muddy blue-green just a few feet ahead. He glanced back at Winston, standing lookout from atop the castle Abbie had helped him make just for him, he forced himself to take a step forward. 

The water was just above his ankles when Abbie splashed up to take his other hand. The bottom of her skirt was damp and her hands were chilly from where she’d gone ahead. “Come on, Will! You’re gonna love it!” she insisted, pulling him out a little further. Daddy made sure to hold tight to his other hand and follow every step of the way. When the water was at Will’s belly button they stopped, feeling the way the water shifted around them. Abbie was staring off deeper into the water looking for the perfect jumping waves. Something brushed up against Will’s leg, sending the little boy clinging tightly to his Daddy, feeling the rumble of a chuckle and the warmth of his Daddy’s chest. “It’s just seaweed, William. This water is too cold and we’re too close to shore for anything to get you, I promise.”

Feeling a little silly, Will loosened his grip and took a step away, only to find himself flung back into his Daddy as something wet and heavy crashed into him. Abbie shrieked, a big smile lighting up her face. “You have to jump the waves, Will! That’s the best part! See? I’ll show you!” 

As another wave approached, Abbie crouched down into the water almost to her neck before springing up just as the wave was about to hit her, rising above it and letting it carry her back a few inches before dropping her again. Paddling her way back over to Will and Daddy, she took his hand and tugged him towards her. “Now you try!”

When the next wave came, Will followed Abbie as she crouched down to get ready before springing up when the wave was close enough. As soon as his feet left the sandy bottom he felt himself being carried back. It was fun feeling so weightless, even if the idea of the ocean carrying him away was scary. But he had Daddy and Abbie out here with him, and Winston was keeping watch from the beach. Nothing would go wrong in the kingdom while  _ he  _ was in charge. Paddling their way back up to Daddy, the two got ready to do it again. 

The sun was painting the sky with pinks and reds and purples when they finally trudged out of the water to collect their toys and Winston. Both kids were exhausted from jumping waves and shivering from the chilly air. Abbie’s lips were a purpley-blue, and Will was sure his were probably the same color. Water clung to his dark ringlets from where he’d taken a wave to the face, and Abbie’s cheeks and the bridge of her nose were pink with sunburn. Will could feel his own face warm beneath the chill. “Next time you two are wearing hats,” Daddy said, collecting the sand toys into a laundry bag and shaking the sand loose before handing it to Abbie to carry back. Abbie groaned at the suggestion before accepting the bag and dashed through the sand ahead of them. Will collected Winston to his chest, his golden fur warm from his time in the sun. He wasn’t sure how Abbie had so much energy. His own legs were starting to get shaky and he fought the urge to ask Daddy to carry him. Instead he followed his sister, feet slipping and sliding through the cool, loose sand. 

The steps seemed to go on forever, each one taller than the next as he trudged up them, Daddy silent behind him, only offering a steadying hand between his shoulders when his toes refused to work and he tripped. When they reached the top, Will fell into a chair at the kitchen table while Daddy started fixing them a late supper of sandwiches and juice, ordering Abbie into the bath while he got everything ready. Pulling out the turkey and cheese and mayo, Daddy cast a look over to Will. “Did you have fun today, William?” he asked, smearing condiments across slices of bread. Will smiled and nodded. He could feel the sand sticking to his toes and legs and knew Daddy would probably complain about the sand they tracked in later, but he had to admit it had been worth it. Even getting knocked down by the waves hadn’t been too bad. “Winston had fun too,” he announced, petting the little dog’s golden head. “He liked his castle. Do you think it will still be there tomorrow?”

Daddy shook his head, cutting two of the sandwiches into triangles before scooping some grapes and baked potato chips onto the plates. “I don’t think so,  _ myimliasis.  _ It’s my experience that sandcastles rarely maintain their perfection for more than a day.” Will felt his lips curl into a pout. All their hard work and it wasn’t even going to stay. At that same moment, Abbie’s door squeaked open and she padded out in a soft looking nightgown, her hair damp and face pink. “That’s okay, Will!” she said, sliding into the chair across from his. “It just means we can build an even bigger and better one tomorrow! That’s part of all the fun!”

Will nodded, accepting the plate Daddy put in front of him and picking at the sandwich. Hungrier than he thought he was, he reached for another grape before realizing his plate was empty and was left with his hand hanging in mid-air as he stared down at it, wondering where his food had gone. Hearing Daddy chuckle, another half of a sandwich was placed in front of him. This he ate more slowly, feeling his stomach rumble in appreciation. 

When their food was gone and the dishes had been taken care of, Abbie went into her room to read and Daddy helped Will wash off the salt and sand before getting him changed into a pair of light cotton pajamas and tucking him in. The pillow was cool against his warm face and he found himself getting sleepy already. Brushing back his curls, Daddy placed a kiss against his forehead before tugging the light-weight blanket up over his shoulders. “Good night,  _ myimliasis.  _ Sleep well. I’m just across the hall if you need me.” 

Will nodded, eyes already closed as he listened to his Daddy cross the room and pull the door to. Moonlight spilled in through the window casting puddles on the floor, and he could hear the crash of waves on the shore just outside. Thinking of all the fun they’d have tomorrow, Will clutched Winston tight and drifted off. As far as first days at the beach went, this one couldn't’ have been better. 

~END~

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Kudos and comments are always loved!


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